Lead forming apparatus



March 4-, 1958 s I 2,825,368

LEAD- FORMING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 29. 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 "2,825,368 LEAD EQRMINGAPBARATUS .Samuel1Kuba, Allentown, 2a., assignorto Western Electric. Company,incorporated New York, N. Y., a corp ion t New-Yo Application Novernher 29;1-9.5 S;erial No. 411,866 Austin (Cl.,=140..-71.5)

invention relates togarticle formin'gapparatus particularly apparatus for forming leads for electrical units.

In the manufacture oil-certain types of electrical units such as .electronic tube s, apluralityof leadwires are mounted in their respective positions inthe initial stem structure for electrical {connection with their respective elements of the tubes. Certain 'of the lead wires may remain in their initial equally spaced parallel positions while others must be bent into predetermined formations to adapt them for the mounting of other elements of the tubes. The formation of the selected elements must be maintained within a high degree of accuracy not only with respect to each otherbut with respect to the remaining leads. l

"The object of the invention is an apparatus which, althoughsimple in structure, is highly eflicient in accurately'forming a projectio'n of an article such as a lead of a tube or lampstem structure.

'With'this and other objects in view, the invention comprisesafixed position nest to support an article having a. projection and to position the projection with respect to forming elements supported for relative movement to cooperate informing the projection.

In the present embodiment of the invention, thearticle has eight equally spaced initially parallel leads, three of which are longer than the remaining five and these threeare acted upon simultaneously through -a single control to actuate first and second elements in their respective order so that the firstelements will cooperate with the nest to hold the selected leads and assist in the tem tation thereof while the second elements move the projecting portions of the selected leads into close engagement "with forming portions of the first element tothereby produce thedesired formations in the selected leads.

Qther objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with .the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. "1 'is a 'top plan view of the apparatus, a portion thereofbeing shown section;

i Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 2 2 of Fig. l;

i Fig; v3 .is enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view of the occupied nest with 'certain of the forming elements shown in closed position;

fig. 4isian enlarged isometric view of one of the formingunits shown inope'n position;

Fig. '5 is'a vertical sectionalview taken along the line 5 5 of Fig; 1;

Fig. 6. is a fragmentary "sectional view showing a portion of the nest with adjacent forming elements in open position, and' Big. 7 is'a view .of'the structure shown in Fig. 6 with the forming elements in closed position.

The apparatus as shown in Fig. 1 includes a support ortable 10 having annular housing 11 mounted thereon with a nest12 disposed at itscenter to receive an article '14. In the"pre"sent' embodiment 'ofthe invention, the

open apertures or recesses 2,825,368 R mme M ,4, .95.

'2 article 14 isa stem structurejfor a given type of radio tube including eight leads 15 mounted in the glass stem structureandliiiingQtheir inner ends initially parallel witheach other. By observing the central portlon or nest 12 of FigfL iti vill be noted that closed apertures or holes 16j are provided for five of the leads '15 while 7 i 17 are ,provided'for the remaining three leads'theref or. The main pocket of the nest 12 (as shown in Fig. 3) receives and supports the glass structure of the article or stem 14, the apertures 16 receive and locate accuratelythe'five short leads of the article while the apertures. ofrecesses 17 of the nestreceive and locate the longerleads which are to be formed.

Like radially positioned forming units 1%, l9 and 20 are under the control of a single actuating unit 21. It

should beunderstood,therefore, that a description of the unit 18 with the actuating unit 23 may oe applied also to the units 19 and 20; I re unit 18 includes a first forming elenientjS and asecon d forming element 26. The'fi rst forming element zfiis rectangular in general contour with ith'e exception of its leading end 28 which has 'inwardlyjtapered surfaces 29 terminating at afiat trontisurfacefitl whichhas anarcuate groovefii extending vertically therein to partially conform tothe lead which'it isto form. An offset upper portionSS of the element ,25 has a leadingisurface similar in. contour to'the rnain leading surfa'ce ot the element 25 with the tapered surfaces thereof terminating in a fiat frontsurface ,whereina semi-circular vertical groove 34, parallel with the groove Bl-isfdisposed. The portion 33 is disposediniali gnment With' and adapted to he received in its respective'recess i-7 ofthe nest 12 to partially surround the adjac'entlead at the row/e134 and to coope'nate with the, nest in holding and forming the adjacent lead.

The second formingelement 26 is hoilowto movably receive the first forming element '25 and has tapered surfaces 35 in the main cavity thereof partially conforming to thetaper'ed surfaces ,2? of the leadingend of the element 725";Vhilela surfacefi and a semi-circular vertical groove 37i'tl1erein'coope'rate with theeurfacefit) and the grooveSS of the first element 25 to surround the 'adjacent leadls and cooperatein forming the lead.

in Fig. 5 'the'torming elementsZS and 2d of the'nnit 18 are shown disposed-for slidingmovement inone of the radial apertures "40 of the housing 11. The second element 25 is connected .to an apertured piston 42 by atube 43 whilethe firstele'ment 25 is connected toa piston #54 by a'rodylfi which extends through an aperture in the central portion 46 of the cylinder structure and through the piston {42, thetube 43, .and the adjacent portion of the secondeleme'nt 26 of the rearmost end of the first element where 'it [is secured by any suitable means (not shown). The pistons a2 and 44 in their respective aligned cylinders 46 and :7 are shownmore in 'detail in Fig. l. in this figure, lines 56 and 51 communicate with opposite sides of the pistonfZ while fluid lines 52 and S3 communicate with opposite sides of the piston 43.

The'sin'gle contr'oluniti's composed of a pairof commercially known'valvesmounted in tandem for actuation in timed relation with each other through the actuation ofa single 'rockable element 55 mounted on a fixed position spindle 56. The unit 20 includes a valve 58 actuable to control fluid lines 59 and 51 while a valve 59 controls fluid lines 5 2'and 53j. The conventional inner piston like control elements of thevalves 5S and 59 have plungers 69 and l normally urged outwardly to the right by their springs -'62 and 63 but actuable inwardly by their respective camsfie and 65. In'Figs. 1 and 2, the plungers 60 and 61 are shown free of their cams 64 and 65 respectively; The earns 64 and 65 are of such sizes with their respective low and high portions 6869 and 70-71 that the first and second elements of each unit 18, 19 and 2 will operate in a given sequence. For example, the

valve 59 will be actuated in'advance of the valve 58during the 'first half'cycle, that is, during closingof the elements to form the lead. However, during the next half cycle,

that is, dnring opening of the elements to free theformed lead this action is reversed; The valves 58 and 59 are provided with air under. pressure from supply lines 72'I73 while they alternately make the fluid lines 50-551 and 2-53-exhaust lines communicating with a main exhaust line,7 4. f' m V Considering nowthe operationrof the apparatus, let it be assumed'that the controlelement 55 with its handle 75 is in the position shownin Figs. 1 and 2 With'thefirst and second forming elements 25 and 26 of the units 18,

19and in their open positions illustrated in Figs. 4

in the nest with the leads in their proper positionsincludingthe five short leads in: the'apertures 16 and the three and 6; At this time, the operator may place an article long leadsin the apertures or recesses 17. The nest12 serves to locate the article, particularly the leads which are to be formed, and has thereeesses or openapertures 17 ready to cooperate with the portion 33 of each first j element of the units 18, 19a'nd'20r When the article 'is placed in the nest 12, the long leads 'whioh are to be 68 of the cam 64 will ride under the plun'gcr61 of the -valve 59 to actuate the valve torcause under pressure I to pass through fluid line 53 while air is exhausted through fluid'line 52 to move the piston 43to the left tomove the first element 257into its forming position where the:

leading end thereof, will be ready to form the adjacent ,lead 15, causing the portion 33 to n oveinto close engage ment with the lead with the groove 34 partially surround- 'ing the lead; ,After this action has taken place, that is;

after the first element has moved into its forming position,

' the second element'willbe actuated. The lapse of time between actions of the valves 59 and 58 and their, sequence of operation are under the control of, the single element- 55, particularly the cams '64 and 65thereon.

' When the valve 58 is actuated by its cam '65, air under pressure will be directed to the fluid'linej50 and cause air to exhaust back of the piston 42 through fluid line 51 thereby moving the piston 42 to the right to move the sec-V ond element 26 intoits forming position shown in,Figs. 3, 5 ,and 7;} During this action of the second forming 1 element in each unit 18, 19 and 20, the longleads 15 are hentroutwardly determined by the portions thereof held by the, projections 33 and the adjacent portions 17 land the nest, 'after whicha predeterminedlength adjacent the ends of the long le'ads are bent parallel with the-initial. portions thereof and with the remaining short leads. This completes the forming portion of eachoperating',cyclejo of the units 18 to 20 inclusive. The schematic fluid'line's illustrating, the connections between the, valves ,5 8j59 1 fment; and'means actuatable tojcause the fluidsunder pre V sure to move the pistons and their formingielemehtsfin'a r and their respective fluid lines 5010 53 inclusivegillus- I trate the operative connection of the controlunit zl with the operatingtnnit 18.; fThese schematic fluid linesmay be I extended to the similar-fluid lines of thejunits1'9arid 20 to' bring about simultaneous action ofthe first elements I followed by simultaneous notion of theisecond elements" of these :units duringthje closing or, forming half of each,

1 operating cycle.1 7 V a f c 5 At thecompleteion ofgthe forming portion ,of-eachoper-i i ating cycle, the'ope ratorreturnsfthe control element 55 to 5 ts starting position (shown in FigsLI' a'nd Z) and during this movement, the valve 58 operate ,first'byf the earn '65, releasing the plunger 60 to; direct air under-pres= throughgline T51 "and exhaust air: back ,of the piston" positioned spaced leads,=havingreeesses to locate'selecte 1 leads of the group attormingpositions, {orminglum a a 76 43 through line 50. Following this action, valve will a be returned to its starting position by its spring 62,when

the plunger 61 is released by its cam 64, to direct air under pressure through line 52 and exhaust air-back of the piston s 42 through line 53 to move the second element 26 into its open position as shown in Figs. 4'and 6. The article' 14 With its formed leads may be removed from the nest andthe next {article to beformed may be'located' therein. The operation is rapid and eflieient, requiring but a short tim'e'for the operator to locateeach article accurately in'the nest moving the singlecontrol element 55 from'its normal position to'itsopera'ting positionand, I then back to its normal position iduring which time the' forming elements of each of the units'1 8, '19 and 20'will move through, theirzrespective operating cycles to firmly hold and form the selected leads of each article and move back into open position so thatthe formed articles may 7 be removed and a new article inserted in'the. nest; I, a

'It is to be understood that the abovedesc'ribed arrangem'entsfai'e simply illustrative, of the application ofthe, principles ofv the invention. Numerous other arrange- 'ments may beireadily' devised by those. skilled in the art which will embody the principles, of the invention and fall within thespiritand scope thereof. I r 7 7 i What is claimed-iszn a 1. An apparatusifor forming projections of articles 7 comprisinga, support for the articles singly with'the, projection thereof 'extending at a given :position from the support, forming elements supported for movementrela tiVe to the given position andrelative toceach; other-to} cooperate in forming the projection 'oftheYarticleQand ,7 individual means'to move thejforming'elements including f aligned pistons, one.,havinga,'central aperturestherein," 1 aligned, cylinders for the pist'ons adaptedfto receive tluids under pressure'to actuate the'pistons, a ltubular'member 1 connecting the apertured piston to itsfforming element," 7 and a rod extending through thejtubular membersthei apertured piston and .itscylindr to connect theother piston to its forming element, 7 r

2 An apparatus fortormin'g proje' ctions of articles comprising a support for thearticles singly withthepro- V jection thereof extending atagiven position from the sup port," forming elements supported for movemerit'relative to the givenfpositionfand relative. to each. othert'o co;

- operate in forming the projection'of the, article, individual means to move forming elements includingialignedpisf tons, one having a centralaperture therein, aligned :cylindersfor thepiston, adapted to receive fluids under. -pres-i p sureto actuate the 1pistons,a tubular member? connecting the apertured piston to itsrforniing elemenfila rod extend ing through the tubular member, the apertured piston and a a its cylinder to connect the otheripiston'to its forming given order.

open position to receive the seleoted leads iri'their'res'pec 'tive recessestherebetween,'andan actuator adapted first; vtoca'useimovementfof the, first;formingelements intofl f forming positions and toyhold portionsjoftheir' lead their recesses, and 'sec'ondto causeiniovement -oi the sec-' ondfor'ming elements toward their first forming, elements j and relative to their recessesto form theleadsfi V 4. A'lead forming apparatuscomprising a nest, adapted to support an article withjan attached rou r-enemas;

having first f, and seoond forniingf elements entendini r dially with respect to the forming positions of the nest, a pair of aligned pistons for each forming unit, one having a central aperture therein, aligned cylinders for each pair of pistons adapted to receive fluids under pressure to actuate the pistons of each pair in reverse directions, a tubular member connecting each apertured piston to its respective second forming element, a rod extending the tubular member and the apertured piston and its cylinder in each forming unit to connect the other piston to the first forming element thereof, and an actuator adapted to 10 cause the fluids under pressure to move the pistons in a given sequence, first to cause movement of the first forming elements into forming positions and to hold portions of their leads in their recesses, and second to cause movement of the second forming elements toward their first forming elements and relative to their recesses to form the leads.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Adt Jan. 18, 1887 Canion Sept. 26, 1922 Kondakjian Oct. 18, 1927 Dewandre Apr. 13, 1943 Hroch Oct. 16, 1945 Brown Mar. 26, 1946 Stone June 21, 1949 Court Feb. 14, 1950 Hoar May 2, 1950 Forse Sept. 18, 1951 

